A standard spinning machine normally has four banks or rows of stations two at either side of the machine at each of which a multiplicity of roving spools or package are held. A respective roving is pulled off each package and spun into yarn and, once the package is substantially depleted, the empty core is exchanged for a full one and the leading end of the new roving is attached to the trailing end of the roving of the depleted core or is threaded through the spinner.
In European patent application 329,965 filed by I. Fritschi et al based on a Swiss priority of 09 Feb. 1988 and citing U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,987,777 and 2,969,635 a circular or disk-shaped transfer device is used. This is fitted with one spool and can be transported along a transfer path transverse to the rows of a spinning station of the machine. These transfer paths extend perpendicular to the spinning-station rows so that it is necessary to provide one entire system for bringing in full packages and another for carrying off empty ones for each row of roving spools. As a result the spinning machine must be fairly wide.
To service the inner row of roving spools the large-diameter full packages must be lifted over the outer row as described in German patent document 3,723,142 filed 13 Jul. 1987 by K. Lauk et al and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,065 of K. Mack et al. These systems are not usable when there is insufficient overhead space at the spinning machine.
It has also been suggested in U.S. Pat. 4,799,353 of Y. Kawasaki et al to switch the packages in the inner row with the respective packages in the outer row so only the outer row needs to be serviced. Such an arrangement is fairly complex. Similarly German patent document 3,718,745 filed 04 Jun. 1987 by M. Zeiser proposes making the packages in the Working row slidable so they can be moved off to a transport row. The frame in such a system is fairly bulky so that it cannot be used in all situations.